B. hamorii just laid eggsac!

ErinM31

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My B. hamorii started constructing her sac two days ago, turning down the hide I provided as she always has and building the eggsac at the very front of her enclosure where I can watch and now fret about the substrate, humidity and so forth! šŸ˜… (In my only previous experience with tarantula breeding, my A. chalcodes barricaded themselves inside their hides to drop their sacs so I could only wait and wonder and worry...)

Day 2 of eggsac construction:
3DA2CE63-8F30-4836-912B-F0A9CBFA7CEA.jpeg

That was yesterday. She laid her eggs this evening and has already closed the sac and appears to be reinforcing and gathering it up. I worry about the substrate that yet clings to the bottom, but she is not done and perhaps that does no harm anyway.

Her abdomen looks almost deflated so soon after laying the eggs but Iā€™ve seen enough spiders drop sacs to think this quite normal. I do wonder whether I should provide food and/or fresh water once she has completed her sac. (I gave her fresh water earlier in the week and she promptly filled the dish with substrate, naturally!) Is hunger or prey more likely to provoke her to consume the eggs? I feel like I have forgotten everything I have ever read about successful tarantula breeding! I shall be reviewing all I can find, but advice, concerns, reassurances, etc. are also most welcome!
 

LucN

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You probably already know this, but keeping disturbances to an absolute minimum would definitely help. A full water dish will help with the moist air, which should hopefully be enough to keep the eggs from desiccating. I am no breeder, but I doubt she'd be interested in food at this point. Most say to pull the sac after 30 days, maybe earlier. It would be a shame if anything caused her to devour her sac. Despite that B. hamorii seems to be bred with some regularity, any and all slings of this classic species would greatly help in keeping the captive numbers up. Crossing fingers for you that all goes well and that you get hundreds of healthy, strong 2i hamorii at one point in the near future. Good luck !
 

ErinM31

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Here is a photo from last night, after she had laid her eggs and was webbing over the top:
703F399F-404A-47FC-BA4B-07C35EBE551E.jpeg

And here she is this morning with her eggsac!
56222171-5AD6-49F4-9768-B63244014354.jpeg

Sorry for the reflections and blurriness; it is the best I could do without disturbing her. I feel privileged to have been able to watch so much of the process! :happy:

You probably already know this, but keeping disturbances to an absolute minimum would definitely help. A full water dish will help with the moist air, which should hopefully be enough to keep the eggs from desiccating. I am no breeder, but I doubt she'd be interested in food at this point. Most say to pull the sac after 30 days, maybe earlier. It would be a shame if anything caused her to devour her sac. Despite that B. hamorii seems to be bred with some regularity, any and all slings of this classic species would greatly help in keeping the captive numbers up. Crossing fingers for you that all goes well and that you get hundreds of healthy, strong 2i hamorii at one point in the near future. Good luck !
Thank you! I will carefully loosely cover the lid with some plastic wrap to reduce airflow and maintain humidity (I should have done that already but I guess overcorrected from feeling last time I did so way too early).

Should little ones be at the ā€œeggs-with-legsā€ stage after 30 days (provided adequate temperature, and it should be >25C from today on)? In reviewing literature last night I was not clear on this point; ~90 days was given as incubation time but I believe that was until they emerge as 2i and I would like to pull the sac in the EWL stage.
 

Blueandbluer

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I've never bred so have no advice, but I wanted to say congrats and that she looks like a very proud mama. :)
 

ErinM31

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I've never bred so have no advice, but I wanted to say congrats and that she looks like a very proud mama. :)
Thank you! :happy: Iā€™ve been watching her tend it, moving it and turning it, occasionally deciding it could use more urticating setae for protection!

Iā€™ve reviewed and will plan to remove the sac in 30 days and take care of the young from there as I had success this way with my A. chalcodes and will feel rather better when I can watch and monitor the eggs/EWLs directly! šŸ˜…
 

cold blood

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. A full water dish will help with the moist air, which should hopefully be enough to keep the eggs from desiccating. I
Actually most breeders pull water dishes immediatly upon a sac being dropped....its too easy (and too common) for the sac to end up in a water dish
 

ErinM31

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Actually most breeders pull water dishes immediatly upon a sac being dropped....its too easy (and too common) for the sac to end up in a water dish
I suppose she should be fine for a month without a water dish since terrestrials often barricade themselves in their burrows for longer? She has webbed off the portion of her enclosure she is utilizing as her nursery. Perhaps I should only consider food or water if she leaves the nursery area?
 

LucN

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Actually most breeders pull water dishes immediatly upon a sac being dropped....its too easy (and too common) for the sac to end up in a water dish
I did not even think of that. Makes total sense. Wouldn't want a soggy sac that goes bad.
 

viper69

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I suppose she should be fine for a month without a water dish since terrestrials often barricade themselves in their burrows for longer? She has webbed off the portion of her enclosure she is utilizing as her nursery. Perhaps I should only consider food or water if she leaves the nursery area?
If you put a dish in, you risk it all.o_O
 

ErinM31

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that's really exciting.....best of luck!
Thank you! :happy: Iā€™m thrilled to be able to watch, although perhaps I worry more rather than less watching every step of the process! šŸ˜…

If you put a dish in, you risk it all.o_O
She did leave the nursery area last night, moving along the wall it appeared, different from how she normally moves about the terrarium. With how she has arranged the substrate, she would have to remove some of it or really squeeze the eggsac to remove it from the nursery area she has made. So, with that in mind, and perhaps a foolish need to do something at this change in behavior, I did lower in a cap of water on this far side. I do not know whether or not she had a drink, but this morning she is back in front with her eggsac.
 

ErinM31

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I donā€™t know whether this will be of interest to anyone else, but I am fascinated by every detail and development! :happy: I had wondered whether the amount of substrate stuck to the outside of the eggsac was any cause for concern (not that I would do anything about it in any case as unless I were prepared to take over incubation of the eggs, I think any such intervention would be disastrous). Anyway, as the mother has moved and turned the eggsac, there is less and less debris stuck to the outside of it.

April 20th:
7BE82E8A-6594-41B2-9A01-1CB967C07306.jpeg

April 22nd:
A73C196E-D022-430D-80A7-FEE70F810782.jpeg
 

ErinM31

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Incubating eggsac, day 11:
0A451BA2-235B-41A2-98F7-964E825BACCC.jpeg
The weather here has varied a lot with hot days and chilly days and even several minutes of pounding hail, but fortunately no tornado, and the temperature indoors has generally been 72-82F.
 
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LucN

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Given that she is so attentive to the sac is a very good sign. Hopefully, she'll still be tending to it by the time you need to pull it out. Hoping for lots of EWLs for you :) Do you plan to sending a portion to a local dealer or would rather sell them yourself ? Crossing fingers and toes for a full success on this event :)
 

ErinM31

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Awesome and congrats!
Thank you! :happy:

Given that she is so attentive to the sac is a very good sign. Hopefully, she'll still be tending to it by the time you need to pull it out. Hoping for lots of EWLs for you :) Do you plan to sending a portion to a local dealer or would rather sell them yourself ? Crossing fingers and toes for a full success on this event :)
Thank you so much! :happy: She is very attentive indeed ā€” rarely is she not standing over and holding the eggsac!

My plan is to arrange to sell all but a few dozen to a dealers once theyā€™re second instar. I would be glad to also make some direct sales if I get interest; I just would rather avoid making hundreds of separate sales and shipments! o_O

Hereā€™s a photo from last June of the prospective father, shortly after his final molt:
 

LucN

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What a handsome little man ! Here's hoping the babies inherit his good looks ;)
 

ErinM31

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What a handsome little man ! Here's hoping the babies inherit his good looks ;)
Thank you! I may be biased, but Iā€™d say the little ones are guaranteed to be beauties from both parents! :happy: The prospective mother after her last molt two years ago (sheā€™s only ~6 years old now but all my temperate Tā€™s have adopted an every-other-year molt pattern upon maturing):
52A3457B-8313-4FBF-A860-D7795FC6D872.jpeg
 

ErinM31

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Now itā€™s been almost a month (29 days, to be exact) and she has, so far as I can tell, been a most excellent and attentive mother. :happy:
BC3BEBB0-5486-4614-AE96-309653A8865D.jpeg
Based on the species-specific recommendations of Tarantulas ā€” Breeding Experience & Wildlife, Iā€™m planning to pull the sac at the end of the month, closer to six weeks.
 
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LucN

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Now itā€™s been almost a month (29 days, to be exact) and she has, so far as I can tell, been a most excellent and attentive mother. :happy:
View attachment 385294
Based on the species-specific recommendations of Tarantulas ā€” Breeding Experience & Wildlife, Iā€™m planning to pull the sac at the end of the month, closer to six weeks.
I really, really, REALLY need to get that book one way or another. I keep hearing good things about it. Looking forward to the surprise in that sac. Crossing fingers and toes for lots and lots of EWLs or 2i hamorii. Best of luck !
 
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